Reaching Into the Dark
by Wrong-Time.Wrong-Situation
Summary: Man, this exam is such a drag. Except for meeting her. Tanaka Kimi...
1. Chapter 1

"Come on, Kimi! Let us race around Kohana ten times to see if our speed has improved to the point necessary for the Chuunin exams!"

Kimi blanched slightly. "Uh, thanks, but I think Neji and I need to work on our evading more."

Lee pouted. "But Kimi, you are so full of a youthful energy that needs to be expelled! And what better way than in a race against the most handsome devil you know?"

"Oh, really? You mean I'm going to be racing Neji?"

"Kimi…"

She laughed. "Only teasing, Neji-niichan." The kunoichi smiled at him. "Guy-sensei, may we work on our evasions now?"

"Yes, my beautiful youth! Let's work on evading kunai today. Kimi, are you going to use your sight in the Chuunin exams?"

Now, I'm sure this statement confused most of you. Hang in there; I'll explain it in a minute.

"I was thinking about it. Mostly, my decision is weighted to the tasks themselves. If it's a written test, I will most definitely need it. But, if it's more practical, I don't see the necessity being as high."

Guy-sensei nodded down at her. "Alright, get into place."

Now, while I have a moment to think, let me explain everything to you. This story belongs to Tanaka Kimi. She's a Genin, has been for a year and change now. She is on the team labeled "Team Guy" with Rock Lee and Hyuga Neji, with Might Guy as the sensei. While Kimi is a genjutsu specialist, she actually is blind. Everyone in her clan is. Their Kekkei Genkai allows them to feel the space around themselves as if they were seeing- kind of like the famed Rinnegan. It may seem weird, but it is actually done through revealed skin, the reason she wears a smaller tank top, extremely short shorts, and fishnet on the skin that would show around her toned stomach. There is minimal bandaging as well, only both of her hands and the top of her left thigh where she wears my shuriken holster. Kimi's right thigh is home to her Leaf headband. As for the Kekkei Genkai, she can actually manipulate space- or, in simplest terms, can create things out of "nothing".

Neji and Kimi are best friends, although they say they're siblings. Before she was good with using her "space sense" to see, he used to be kind of a guide. He'd allow Kimi to rest against him when everything became too overwhelming, and they found little ways for him to tell her to change directions, avoid an object, and so on. Although her need had been reduced, they still do these out of force of habit. Lee is kind of like a brother to her as well, they've just never been as close as she is with Neji.

However, back to the present where Guy-sensei is about to throw sharp objects at his team…

"Ready?"

Lee shifted into his fighting stance. "Hai, sensei!"

Neji slid into a half crouch. "Ready."

Kimi closed her eyes, allowing her "sight" to expand. "Let's do this."

It wasn't long before Guy-sensei began his attack, first sending individual kunai. They all jumped over it, satisfied with the _thunk_ it made in the trees behind them. For the next half four, they jumped, ducked and rolled, evading all the kunai without a scratch on anyone.

"Impressive! Although, I'd expect no less from my team. You all are constantly improving." Guy-sensei grinned at his team and gave them a thumbs up.

Kimi grinned at the same time as the other two, and they all chorused: "Stronger than we were yesterday."

Guy laughed. "Very good. Training is over for a while. Here are your slips for the Chuunin exams. Be in room 305 in the Academy in five days. I am not going to train you guys again until… Well, I'll tell you later. Good luck, everyone."

As Guy-sensei formed the hand sign to poof out, the three Genin saluted.

"What do you say, guys?" Kimi turned to the boys. "Some dinner and then target practice?"

Neji smirked. "You're cooking."

She laughed. "Fair deal. You know," the three of them turned to walk back to the Tanaka compound, "the two of you are always welcome. Neji, Okasan loves you a bunch, and Lee, everyone knows that you enjoy being around my otouto."

"You know, after this craziness settles down, I may just start taking you up on the offer."

Kimi smiled and slid her hand into Neji's as they walked through the village. No, she didn't still necessarily need his help, but it felt nice to stop needing to search for everyone for a little while.

The compound was buzzing as the team made their way to the main house, Kimi's huge family calling hello from every angle imaginable. When they entered the house, she called out:

"Okasan, Otousan, I'm home and Neji is with me! Otouto, Lee is here!"

There was a loud crashing sound, probably from Kimi's little brother's toys. She giggled when he appeared in front of Lee.

"Lee-kun!"

Lee bent over to pick the little boy up as Kimi leaned back into Neji, grinning at the two of them. "Teru, honey, don't wear him out. We're only here to eat before going back out to train."

"Neji!" A woman's voice called, making Kimi laugh as she leaned away from him, allowing her mother to dote. Kimi walked over to Lee, taking Teru out of his arms. She quickly channeled her chakra so she could see.

Kimi smirked. "Okasan, did Teru dress himself today?"

"Hey, he can't focus his chakra yet without hurting himself, and you know he hasn't decided whether or not he wants to start at the academy…"

"Fair, fair. I'm going to cook dinner for the three of us, and then I'm going to be out training for at least a few hours."

"Will Neji-kun be with you?"

_Typical of her. No matter how good my hold on our Kekkei Genkai is she always worries about me doing the most mundane things._

Kimi put Teru down with a kiss on the forehead before walking into the kitchen. "Hai, Okasan. We are on the same team. What do you guys want to eat?" Her mom's eye roll was almost palpable as she picked Teru up and walked away.

"Whatever you want to make is fine, just something that will keep us full for a while." Neji commented as he settled on a stool on the other side of the kitchen counter.

"Yes, some meat and potatoes would be delicious!"

Kimi and Neji laughed lightly at Lee. "How about I grill some chicken and make up a salad? It's not the same, but…"

He laughed. "Sure, that sounds like it would taste good." He settled down next to Neji as Kimi cooked. After they ate and bid the girl's parents goodbye, they rushed back to the training ground. The three of them got to work stringing up some dummies with targets on to them, before aiming and taking the shots without speaking.

Around half an hour later, after the sun had set, Neji sat down at the bottom of a tree as Kimi moved closer to Lee. She let a handful of weapons loose at his dummy before he spoke up.

"Hey, have you heard? The upcoming Chuunin exams are going to have rookies for the first time in five years."

"No way." Kimi laughed, spinning a kunai in her hand. "The Jounins must be trying to look good."

"I heard that three of them are from Kakashi's unit." He leaned against a tree, propping himself up with his elbow.

"Huh. Interesting." The sarcasm dripped from Neji's voice.

"But not very." Kimi continued, chucking the kunai at the dummy above Neji's head. He had no reaction as it landed in the target only meters from his head, knowing she wouldn't miss.

He smirked. "Either way, it's too bad for them."

Kimi giggled, before yawning. "Well guys, I'm almost out of weapons. I think it's time for a break. Lee, see you in five days. Neji, you ready?"

He got up and the two walked off, waving to Lee as they left.

"Have you had a chance to perfect that genjutsu yet?"

Kimi sighed and rubbed my eyes, wishing her brain would stop whirling. "I hate having to develop my own genjutsu. This is why I like ninjutsu. I don't have to make my own every time I use it."

"But that hasn't stopped you from developing your own techniques."

"Heh. Habits die hard."

The rest of the walk back to Kimi's compound was silent. When they reached the gates, Neji reached out for her and she let her body fall slightly into his arms. He held her close.

"I'll see you in five days."

"You mean we're not going to train together?"

He chuckled slightly. "Kimi, I have to be able to have some techniques even you don't know. A - how would you put it? - ace in the hole."

The girl giggled. "Fair, fair. I'll meet you with Lee outside of the academy." Pulling herself closer for only a second, she released him to walk into the compound. When his chakra flare had disappeared, the chocolate haired kunoichi smiled and entered her house.

"Otousan, Okasan, I'm back for the night." She called softly, not wanting to wake Teru up.

Her otousan kissed me her the forehead as he led Kimi into the kitchen, where a bowl of ice cream was waiting. She dug in happily.

"Tell me, Musume, when are you and Neji going to finally make it official?"

Kimi almost spit her ice cream across the kitchen. "Okasan, that's not even funny! You know Neji's like my brother."

She grinned at her daughter teasingly. "But he's so cute."

"Hold on, hold on! None of this boy talk in my kitchen!"

"Thank you, Otousan!" Kimi stuck her tongue out at the demon woman across from her.

"My musume is obviously too young to be dating!"

Kimi groaned and dropped her spoon into her bowl, giving up on her parents. "I'm not hungry and more. Good night."

"We love you!" Her okasan still had a teasing tone, so she rolled my eyes but laughed as she slid my door closed. Kimi changed into one of Neji's old shirts, which reached down to mid-thigh, before shutting the lights off and climbing into bed.

It's true, Kimi and Neji are nothing more than brother and sister. They were incredibly close, but that was just their relationship. She was the only one that managed to distract him from his destiny talk long enough to break into the loving, protective person underneath, and he's always been there for her. Lee always had both of their backs, and almost pushed them harder than Guy-sensei. Although quirky, the team was like another family for Kimi, and she loved each of them for that.

Besides, there was a cute guy she had seen a few times around the village that looked much more interesting than Neji ever had.

Picturing him, she wondered what his name was, and if he was a ninja. _He wasn't in our class, so that means he's either one of the rookies, or he's still in the academy. Maybe I will be able to find out who he actually is at this exam…_


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I forgot to do this in the first chapter, so here's my little spiel. Hi, I'm a new author here, and this is my Shikamaru Nara story. I should be posting once or twice a week (from now on) and will gladly accept any suggestions my readers are willing to give.**

**Thank you for reading! If there are any questions, feel free to PM me at any time (:**

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I do not own.**

"I believe we should maintain a low profile. We don't want to show everything Guy-sensei has taught us before our fights have even begun." Lee informed his team members as they walked inside the academy to start the Chuunin exams.

Kimi nodded. "Fair, fair. Does that mean we're supposed to act like we don't know there's a genjutsu cast that is supposed to trick us into thinking that this is the third floor?"

"Yes, it does." Both the boys chuckled when she pouted slightly.

When they reached the "third floor", there were two guys standing in front of the doors everyone was supposed to go through. Kimi channeled her chakra and glanced around, surprised by the number fooled by the genjutsu. She glanced at Lee, who nodded.

"Hey, you two! Please move out of our way! We need to go through those doors to give them these forms."

"Lee!" She hissed, but he ignored her, charging at them in a fraction of his normal speed.

As he exchanged a few blows with the two guards, Neji and Kimi got closer. He wasn't even trying; just letting them beat him up. He was shoved back to Kimi, and she caught him with a frown.

"You're taking the Chuunin exams with that kind of level?" The two guards stepped forward.

The other one smirked. "Maybe you should quit, kids."

"You're still just kids."

Kimi looked up at Neji, who gave her a hard look. She bit her cheek. "Please let us through." She faked, trying not to roll her eyes at herself. Standing up, she took a few steps forward, only to be smacked back by the guys. Kimi tried to contain her anger as she fell backward onto the ground. Neji twitched, wanting to defend her.

"How cruel!" Someone from behind the trio commented.

"What did you say?" The guy with the tape on his face laughed. "Listen up. We're being nice to you. The Chuunin exams are extremely difficult."

Kimi narrowed her eyes.

"We have seen those who have given up on being a ninja or become seriously injured during this exam. A Chuunin is a commander of a squad. It is the commander's fault for the failure of any missions and the death of their subordinates. And to think these kids were trying to..." He made a noise of disgust.

"What's wrong with sifting out those who weren't going to pass anyway?" The one with his chin covered looked directly at Kimi. "Blind little girls don't belong here. Go home and play with your dolls."

As she bit her lip hard, three presences Kimi knew only faintly approached from behind. One was obviously an Uchiha, the other was nothing impressive, but the third… _He has more chakra than I even thought was possible!_

"That's a sound argument. But I will pass." The Uchiha stepped forward.

Kimi had to admit, the kid had guts. Maybe stupid, death-wishing guts, but they were there.

"And undo this field you've created using a genjutsu. I want to go to the third floor."

As the crowd behind them began to murmur, Kimi focused so she could take a look at the last of the Uchiha clan. No doubt he was talent, and he had her respect through seeing the genjutsu, even in his inexperience.

"Oh?"

"You noticed, huh?"

Kimi rolled her eyes and wanted to scream. _I saw it, too! We're just… ugh. Never mind._

"Sakura, how about you? You should've noticed first." The Uchiha turned to the pink haired female on his team.

"What?" She questioned, making her elder kunoichi want to laugh. Sure, she noticed it. _Maybe they're using the opposite tactic of ours?_

"Your analyzation skills and genjutsu know-how is the best in our squad."

"Sasuke-kun. Thank you." She murmured, making the other team raise their eyebrows. "Of course, I've noticed it already. Because this is the second floor."

"Right!" The blonde spoke up.

_These kids have to be rookies. I have never met anyone else that annoying._

However annoying they were, they still managed to have the genjutsu dispelled.

"You're pretty good. But just being able to detect it isn't enough…"

One of the guards moved forward in a kick, and the Uchiha reacted the same way. Kimi felt Lee tense up and, before she could even say something, jump in between the two kicks and grab them. The girl sighed, face palming, before Neji reached a hand to help her up and led her over to the fight.

"Hey, you broke the promise. You're the one who didn't want to gather attention by doing something that stands out."

"I know, but-"

"Forget it, guys, it's over now." Kimi pulled her lips to the side.

Lee walked away from his teammates, over to stand in front of the pink haired female.

"My name is Rock Lee. You are Sakura-san, right?"

"Oh, no." Kimi murmured as Neji gently pulled her against him. She closed her eyes, not wanting to watch what was about to embarrass their entire team.

"Huh?"

He grinned and made the thumbs up that Guy-sensei always gives his squad. "Let's go out together! I will protect you until I die."

"Definitely… Not." Kimi smirked.

"Why?"

"You're too, uh, unique, for my taste."

That made her shift. _Embarrass Lee all you want, but insult him…_

"Easy there, Kimi." Neji hissed in my ear, holding onto her arms a bit tighter. "Let's scope a bit first."

"Hey you, Uchiha." She called out, causing the raven haired boy to look over at the two of them. "What's your first name?"

"You're supposed to identify yourself before you ask."

Kimi smirked. _So he can play…_

"You're a rookie, aren't you?" Neji voiced. "How old are you?"

"I am not obliged to answer."

This made the kunoichi giggle. "Cute."

"What's that?" Neji stiffened.

The Uchiha simply turned away, making Neji even tenser. Kimi simply placed one of her hands over his, reminding him to breathe.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto, let's go."

Kimi turned up to Neji. "We should go, too. There's no reason for us to hang around anymore, seeing as we know their names now."

He gave her a half smirk before looking over to Lee, who was still pouting against the wall.

"Sasuke." Neji murmured. "Uchiha Sasuke."

He turned to walk away, leaving his teammates to follow. Kimi began to do so, before glancing back.

"Lee, let's go. Aren't you coming?"

"You two go ahead. I have something I need to check out."

With that, Lee walked in the opposite direction of them. Kimi watched him go before catching up to Neji.

"What was with that?"

"How should I know?"

"Neji, play nice."

He smirked and placed his hand on her lower back. "Let's go check in. He told us he'd see us later."

She laughed as they walked toward the designated room. There were no adults waiting outside, so the pair walked directly into a classroom. Neji discreetly guided her through the groups. He found a seat, with Kimi sliding onto the desk in front of him.

"Time to check out the competition?"

Neji smirked. "What competition?"

They chatted lightly as they waited for Lee to join them. Kimi was searching for the guy she had seen around village, wanting to figure out who he actually was. Finally, she felt Lee approaching.

"Hey, Lee, what happened to you?"

"It is nothing to be of concern to anyone."

She frowned slightly, but didn't comment. Soon after, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto walked in, catching her attention. And, apparently, many other people's attention. Including…

"Would you two be alright if I went to go have a quick conversation with the rookies?"

Neji's glance was heavy on her as Lee nodded his assent.

"Kimi, be careful."

She grinned. "I always am. Behave, the two of you."

Neji rolled his eyes as she stood up to walk away, but Lee didn't react at all, making her frown a bit. Kimi pushed it to the back of her mind as she allowed herself to see the guy from around the village. He seemed to be yelling at Naruto, making her giggle behind her hand. Come to think of it, it looked like Sakura was fighting with a blonde that was hanging on Sasuke… Ah, rookies.

Kimi focused back on the mystery boy, taking in his spiky pony tail, pierced ears, and casual wear. His headband was tied around his left arm, which was unique. She smiled slightly to herself, tracing her own headband, which she wore tied around her upper right thigh, right where her rather short shorts stopped. Hey, don't judge! A girl does what a girl needs to do.

She hung back for a few moments, simply watching the rookies interact with amusement. _Aww, that puppy is really cute! He must be of the Inuzuka clan…_ Kimi shook my own head, trying to focus.

"What? You three made it, too? Geez..."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I see. So all nine rookies this year are going to take the exam. How far do you think we can get, Sasuke-kun?"

"You seem to be confident, Kiba."

"We trained like hell. We won't lose to you."

"Shut up! Forget Sasuke, I won't lose to you."

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. Kiba-kun d-didn't mean it th-that way."

_Ah, Neji's cousin. Poor Neji… Poor Hinata!_

As the larger guy stepped toward Kiba, another boy with his face completely hidden stepped forward. Kimi took this as her chance and walked over.

"Uhm, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata turned around and almost fainted. "K-Kimi-sama…"

The chocolate haired girl laughed. "I asked you not to call me that, Hinata. I just want to be friends with you." She smiled and stepped forward, embracing Hinata lightly.

"Who's this, Hinata?" They pulled away and Kimi looked over to her mystery guy who had posed the question and smiled. _Hm, he's even cuter up close…_


	3. Chapter 3

"Hi, I'm Tanaka Kimi. I'm on Neji-niisan," realizing what she said as the guy's eyes widened, Kimi stumbled, "Uh, I mean, Hinata's cousin's, team."

He looked at her with a measuring glance. "Huh. I'm Nara Shikamaru."

"I'm Akimichi Chouji." The other person paying attention introduced himself, and Kimi smiled at all of them.

"It's my honor meet you, and to see you again Hinata-chan."

She blushed, making the other girl giggle. "It's nice to see- ah…" She trailed off.

Kimi rolled her eyes, dismissing it with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about. I do it myself at this point. It's never offended me." She grinned at Hinata.

"What do you mean?" The attention was turned back to the guy- Shikamaru. "Wait, if you're of the Tanaka clan… Then you're blind-oh."

Kimi giggled. "Give the boy a prize. Yes, I am blind, but I don't really care because of my Kekkei Genkai. It's never been a hindrance, so why worry about it?"

Before their conversation could continue, an older guy made his way over to the group. She narrowed her eyes, not quiet knowing what was off about him, but there was something…

"Hey, you guys. You should quiet down a little. So you're the nine rookies that just graduated from the academy, correct? You're all fooling around with those cute little faces… Geez, this isn't a field trip."

"Who are you to tell us that?" The annoying blonde chick voiced, making Kimi roll her eyes. _This is what he was warning you all about._

"That's Yamakana Ino. She's the other member of our team."

The kunoichi glanced over to Shikamaru. "Is she kind of…"

"Yep. It's a drag."

She giggled, but her attention was drawn to Neji. He motioned her back over, so she gave him a slight nod.

"Well, Shikamaru, I should go back to my team. Take care, be safe, and I hope I get a chance to see your Shadow Jutsu in work."

His shock was practically palpable as Kimi walked away, smirking slightly. _He's not the only one that knows about the clans of the Hidden Leaf Village._

When she reached my team, Neji pulled her back down in front of him. "You aren't leaving my side for the rest of this exam."

"Neji-niichan…" She whined, making him smirk slightly.

"Did you learn anything about the rookies?" Lee questioned.

Kimi glanced over, surprised to see that Shikamaru was looking at her. "Watch for Kekkei Genkai. They come from strong clans."

Shikamaru diverted his attention from Kimi back to the presentation. He watched as the Kabuto guy showed the group his chakra cards. _Man, this exam is such a drag. I don't even want to be here. Although, meeting that girl, Kimi, was actually kind of interesting…_

"Are there any cards that have detailed personal information?" Sasuke spoke up, drawing Shikamaru's attention back to the presentation.

"Maybe. Is there someone that interests you?"

"Maybe."

"The information of this exam's examinees is not perfect, but I've burned and saved them. They include information about the nine of you, as well. Tell me whatever you know about the people that you know that interest you. I'll show them to you."

"He's Gaara of the Sand Village. And Rock Lee from Kohana."

"And Tanaka Kimi, as well." Shikamaru commented, drawing the surprise of those surrounding him. _Gee, all I did was ask for information. What a drag._

"Oh, you know their names. Then this won't take much time."

He ignored Choji munching in his ear as he focused in on the cards.

"Here we go." Kabuto pulled three cards out of his deck as everyone leaned closer.

"Show me," Sasuke demanded.

"First, let's see Rock Lee. He's one year older than you. Mission experience is 11 C-rank and 20 D-rank. His squad leader is Guy, and his teammates are Hyuga Neji and Tanaka Kimi, who you asked about." I received a quick glance from the silver haired boy before we focused back on the cards. "In the last twelve months, his taijutsu has radically improved, while his other skills are pretty shaky. Last year, he got a lot of attention as a Genin, but, for some reason, he chose not to participate in the exam. This'll be his first time participating in the exams, same as you guys.

"Now, Tanaka Kimi." Shikamaru leaned even closer. "She has the same mission experience and team, of course. However, she seems to be an incredible genjutsu user, and she has a strong ninjutsu record. Huh…" I pulled my eyebrows together. "It says she was right behind Hyuga Neji when they graduated from the academy. Apparently, she's gotten as much attention as her teammate for developing her own techniques. It makes sense that people would be shocked, considering she's blind."

As the rest of the Genin stared at him in shock, Shikamaru ignored them. _She's blind, and she uses jutsu. She knew about my clan… Who exactly is this girl?_

Kimi hummed quietly as Neji played with a kunai and Lee stared longingly at Sakura. Their peace had installed a sense of tranquility as the people around them were silent as well. And then, Naruto shattered all of it.

"Ah! My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm not going to lose to any of you! Got that?"

Kimi smirked at Neji, who shook his head.

"Hey, what exactly are you trying to do, get us killed? Tell your boyfriend to keep his big fat trap shut!" Ino yelled, making Team Guy's amusement grow.

"Whose boyfriend?" Sakura yelled back.

"Oh, I forgot! You can't get one!"

"Ah, the youthful sound of stupidity." Kimi winked at her teammates, who chuckled.

"Well he sure hasn't lost his spunk."

"He has passion."

"I guess you didn't intimidate him as much as you thought, huh, Lee?"

Kimi raised her eyebrows, but they both ignored her, staring at the show. Suddenly, there was a rapid movement in the room, making the kunoichi tense.

"Do you guys sense that?" She murmured to her teammates as the rookies continued to make people hate them.

"Yes. They are moving so quickly." Lee murmured.

Suddenly, two kunai hit the ground so hard Kimi could feel the vibrations. It was exactly where Kabuto had been standing only moments before. Another guy swung at Kabuto, missing him. But there was still a transfer of something that she could feel, but not see, even with her Kekkei Genkai. Kabuto's glasses shatter as everyone started slightly in shock. Kimi ignored whoever was speaking as she wondered what was up with the attack. That is, until Kabuto emptied his stomach.

"Lee, Kimi, did you guys see what was going on in that attack?"

"There was more to it than just speed. Some kind of trick." Lee responded, and she nodded.

"There was some sort of a transfer, not chakra, but something between the attacker's arm and Kabuto. I don't know exactly what it was, but it's obviously not good."

Suddenly, an explosion sent smoke around the room, distracting everyone.

"Quiet down, you punks!" He smiled evilly. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I am the proctor of the first test of the Chuunin Selection Exam, Morino Ibiki.

Many people gulped as they all started at the proctor.

"You three from the Hidden Village of Sound, don't think you can do anything you want before the exam. Do you want us to fail you already?

"Sorry, it's our first time. I guess we're just a bit jumpy, sir."

_What is up with people and being smart asses today? _Kimi wondered as she focused over to the rookie nine again. Their nerves were almost palpable.

""I'll only say this once, so listen up. There will be no combat between candidates, no attacking each other without the permission of your proctor. And even then, the use of fatal force is strictly prohibited. Pigs who go against me will be disqualified immediately. Got it?"

Kimi tensed slightly, nervous that the warning was necessary. Neji and Lee both sensed this, so they both put a hand on one of her legs, telling her to calm down.

"Now, if we're ready, we'll proceed to the first stage of the Chuunin exam. Hand over your paperwork. In turn, you will each be given a number. This number determines where you will sit. We'll start the written test one you've all been seated."

"A written test, huh? Well, looks like we're all going our own direction." Kimi said to the boys as Neji casually slid her off the desk. She took his hand as they walked over and handed their paperwork in. The proctor handing out numbers was one they had seen working gate duty, and he winked at Kimi. Looking closer, she noticed that he looked a lot like the kid that was beating Lee around earlier. When she narrowed her eyes, he smirked and handed them their numbers.

"Good luck. Blind little girls will need it." He said, but without malice.

Making a face at him, she reached out and grabbed their numbers, noting they were all on opposite sides of the room. She sighed as they entered the classroom.

"Well…" Kimi murmured, glancing up at her team members. They were both staring at her, as if expecting me to say something. When she didn't, they both smiled slightly.

"Do not worry, Kimi. I am positive you will ace this test with ease!" Lee promised his female teammate, making her laugh quietly.

Kimi quickly gave him the ghost of a hug. "Thanks, Lee. Good luck to you, too." He walked off to find his seat, leaving me and Neji.

"Remember, focus. A gentle, steady stream is all you need."

She smiled and gently knocked her shoulder against his. "You don't need to remind me how to use my own skill, goof." He chuckled slightly as she closed my eyes. When the kunoichi opened them again, she could see everything crystal clear. Neji placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed before he walked away.

Instead of standing there alone like a loser, Kimi figured it was time to find her seat. Glancing at her number again, she made sure that she was headed to the right place. When she got there, she looked up to see a pineapple head. "Shikamaru?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Huh? Kimi?" He questioned, looking up at the aforementioned. "What a drag."

"Gee thanks, because I just love your company." She grinned teasingly as she sat down.

"Funny."

Looking at him, Kimi sized him up. "Careful, rookie. Your sarcasm might be the end of you in this exam." She murmured as they both looked around. There were some pretty scary looking people in the room.

"Huh. Rookie. Like that really means anything."

"Kindda does, actually. The longer you're a ninja, the more missions you accomplish. I bet I've done double the amount of C rank you have."

"And you think that means that you're going to ace this test, but I won't."

"Your words, not mine." She teased as she turned to the front and stretched, relaxing into her seat.

"Fine then. If you're so confident, let's make a bet."

Now this caught Kimi's interest. "What kind of bet?"

He smirked. "Nothing hard, that'd be a drag. How about if I'm a Chuunin by the end of this stupid thing, you have to tell me everything about you, from your Kekkei Genkai to all of the jutsu you've developed. If I'm not, then I'll do the opposite."

Nodding slowly, she grinned slightly. "I see you know about my developed jutsu. But the bet has nothing to do with my skills." _Which are better than yours, rookie._

"Fine. Then the bet is only if I'm a Chuunin and you're not, or the opposite."

"If both of us become Chuunin, does that mean we have to do both?"

He sighed. "What a drag. Sure."

"Then let's shake on it." She grinned, putting her hand out. He grabbed onto it and shook it firmly once. They broke apart when Ibiki tapped the chalk on the board.

"Everyone, eyes front. There are a few rules you need to be aware of, and I won't answer any questions, so you need to pay attention the first time around!" _Well then._ " Alright, rule number one is this. The written part of the exam is conducted on a point reduction system. Contrary to what most of you may be used to, each person starts the test with a perfect score of ten points. One point will be deducted for each answer you get wrong. So, if you miss three, your final score will be seven."

"Or if you miss ten, your final score will be zero." She teased Shikamaru, who rolled his eyes while hiding a grin. Kimi smiled internally, knowing that she was flirting shamelessly, but couldn't really bring herself to care. After all, she had liked this guy before she had even met him, so that gives her a right to flirt… _Right?_

"Rule number two: teams will pass or fail based on the total score of all three members."

"What, wait a second! You're saying we all get scored as a team?" Sakura burst out.

Kimi laughed a bit, echoing her neighbor. "I'd be nervous if Naruto was on my team, too." Shikamaru murmured.

"Silence! I have my reasons, so shut up and listen.

"Rule number three: the sentinels you see positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating. And for every incident they spot, they will subtract two points from the culprits score. Be warned, their eyes are extremely sharp. And, if they catch you five times, you will be dismissed before the tests are even scored. Anyone fool enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels doesn't deserve to be here."

"I've got my eyes on you guys." The sentinel from earlier remarked, making Kimi pull a face.

"If you want to be considered shinobi, then show us what exceptional shinobi you can be."_ Alright, let's get going on this thing._ "One more thing." _Or not._ " If any candidate should get a zero and fail the test, then the entire team fails. The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period. You'll have one hour total. Begin!"

When she flipped the test over, Kimi felt her eyebrows float slowly north on her forehead. She checked out the first question, which looked something that they were asking the test takers to decode. After studying it for a few seconds, she knew she had no chance to crack it, so she moved onto the second question, hoping that she'd at least have a chance with that one.

_Line B in the diagram indicates the path traveled by a shuriken thrown at Enemy C by Ninja A seated atop a tree seven meters tall. Describe and formulate the trajectory required if C were positioned at points D, E, and F. Also predict the farthest possible range of a shuriken and explain how you arrive at your answer._

_What the hell? No Genin could answer that! Not only are we under pressure from the sentinels, but we also have a time constraint. Our knowledge isn't this expanse… And besides, there are so many improbabilities in that question…_

The miffed kunoichi looked up from her test paper to glance around the room. That same damn sentinel caught her eye and winked again, making her rolls her eyes and smile slightly. However, when he marked his board, that smile slipped away.

_They weren't kidding around about watching us like hawks._ Kimi thought in slight distress before looking back down at her test paper, and almost smacking herself in the forehead.

She deactivated her sight and let her Kekkei Genkai expand, taking in all the other candidates. Kimi searched for one that was writing, and managed to snag five. she chose the one closest to her and focused in on his pencil movements. Her left hand flew across the page as she copied what he was writing, confident now that she would pass the test. When she surfaced around half an hour later, Kimi noticed that people around her had started to be eliminated.

_So not getting caught cheating is more important than the test answers themselves? That means they never really cared about whether or not we knew the answers to the test. They wanted to see how well we can collect information while being discreet. Sneaky…_

She activated her sight again, looking directly at the guy with the bandage. He nodded at her slightly with a smile, making her grin back, until she noticed Shikamaru jerking slightly out of the corner of her eye. Kimi's eyebrows furrowed when she watched him suddenly fill out the answers on the test. Her eyes swept the classroom until she found the blonde chick from earlier. It looked like the blonde was collapsed onto her desk. _Of course, the Yamanaka clan._

Shikamaru looked up at Kimi then, almost finished answering the nine written questions. She smiled a bit and he winked before finishing off the test. Before she could completely recover from the surprise, Kimi knew the normal Shikamaru was looking at her, so she brushed it off.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu seems useful." She murmured to him.

His head jerked toward the kunoichi, before he shook it. "Now I really want to win that bet." He whispered, making her smile slightly. She turned my focus to her teammates. Neji was using his Byukagun, but Lee looked completely lost on how to complete the test. Kimi bit her lip and formed a few hand signs under the desk before sliding her hand across her test paper.

It's a jutsu called the Mirror Image Technique, which allows the user, more specifically Kimi, seeing as she developed it, to focus a small amount of chakra into the palm of their hand and glide it over any document. They then need to picture the destination and the mirror image will appear there for as long as the user holds the jutsu. She watched as Lee leaned forward and began to scribble, indicating it had been a success. As other teams around her continued to fail, she began to breathe a bit more easily, knowing that her team would pass with the nine written questions. However, there was still the tenth question hanging over everyone's head. Kimi turned my attention momentarily to Ibiki, who was staring at the candidates.

_I've heard of him. Morino Ibiki. He specialized in torture interrogation for the ANBU. This final question is going to be no joke._

"Now that we've weeded out most of the hopeless cases, fifteen minutes to go. Time for the main event. Alright, listen up. Here's the tenth and final question."

Everyone sat up a little straighter, holding their breaths.

"But, before I give you the question, there are a few rules you need to be made aware of."

The serious moment was broken by a Sand nin re-entering the room.

"Ah, just in time. I hope you found your trip to the bathroom enlightening." _I really don't want to think about that too hard. _"Well? Take your seat."

Everyone turned around to focus on the front of the classroom again, where Ibiki smirked at them. "These rules are unique to question ten. Listen carefully, and try not to let them frighten you." When no one moved, he continued. "Very well then, rule number one. Each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question. It's your decision."

"Whoa, so what's the catch?" _My thoughts exactly…_ "Let's say we decide we don't want to do it, what happens then?"

"If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine, you'll get a zero. In other words, you fail. And that means, of course, that both your teammates fail as well."

The crowd started grumbling about how it was a stupid option, but Kimi folded her hands together and leaned her elbows on the desk, desperate to know why he was telling them they could pass on the question.

"Not so fast, you didn't let me finish. If you choose to take the tenth question and answer it incorrectly, you will not only fail… You will be barred from taking the Chuunin Exam ever again!"

Kimi's arms dropped in shock as she stared at him. _You have got to be kidding…_


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, that's bull, man! That's ridiculous! What kind of bogus rule is that? There are lots of people here that have taken the test before." The rookie with the puppy yelled. Kimi internally squealed when the puppy barked its assent, before remind herself to focus.

"I guess you're just… unlucky. I wasn't making the rules before, but I am now. Of course, if you don't want to take it, you don't have to. By all means, if you aren't feeling confident, skip it. You can always come back and try again next year." Ibiki laughed, creeping everyone out a bit.

"Now then, if you're ready, the tenth and final question. Those of you who don't want to take it, raise your hand. Your number will be recorded, then you are free to go."

Kimi looked to Neji first, who shook his head slightly. Lee had the same response, so she settled back for the ride.

Once the first person raised his hand, everyone seemed to decide to quit. Kimi watched in shock as their number basically halved itself. She glanced at the one sentinel by chance, and he had his lips pressed together in a line as if he was mad about something. Her brows furrowed as I contemplated it until Naruto decided it was time to be a loud mouth again.

"Don't underestimate me! I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want. You guys aren't going to scare me off, no way! I don't care if I do get stuck as a Genin for the rest of my life, I'll still be Hokage some day!"

Oddly enough, everyone in the room began to settle in at his words with smiles.

"This decision is one that could change your life. If for any reason you should decide to quit, this is your last chance."

"No way, I never go back on my word. That's the way of the ninja." _Atta boy, Naruto._

"Well then, I admire your determination, nothing else. For those of you remaining, there's only one thing left to do. And that's for me to tell you… You've all passed the first exam."

Kimi's jaw dropped as she stared at Ibiki.

"Hold on, what just happened? What do you mean we passed? Where's the tenth question?"

"Just shut up and be happy your team's moving on." Shikamaru murmured, putting his head down in his arms. The girl next to him glanced over with a small smile.

"There never was one! Not a written one, at least. Actually, your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question. "

"Wait a second, so the other nine questions you gave us were just a waste of time, is that what you're saying?"

"No, no, not at all. Quite the opposite. The first nine questions had an important overriding purpose. To test your ability to surreptitiously gather strategic intelligence under the most adverse circumstances."

_Well geez. How could I have been silly enough not to say that exactly with those words._

"Let me explain. You see, my purpose was not only to test you as an individual , but as a team, and how well you function as part of that team. That's why the test was scored on a team basis: so you would know everything you did, or failed to do, would directly affect your teammates. I wanted to see how you would handle the pressure."

"Mhm, yeah, I figured it was something like that, that's why I kept my cool." Naruto said, making Kimi sweat drop.

"The first nine questions on the test were difficult. In fact, as you may have realized, too difficult for any Genin to be expected to solve. I imagine that most of you quickly came to that conclusion: that you'd have to cheat if you had any chance of passing. The fact is the test was designed to encourage cheating. In fact, it almost demanded it. Of course, it would have done you little good unless you had someone to cheat from. So, I disguised two Chuunin who already knew the answers and had them sit in and with you."

"Haha, oh, come on, I wasn't fooled for a second. You had to be a complete dofus not to see it."

"Meaning he had no clue the entire time." Kimi murmured to Shikamaru, only to notice that he was lightly snoring. She smiled slightly before facing the front again.

"Those who were caught at it, were failed. Better not to cheat, than to cheat clumsily. Information. It can be the most valuable weapon in battle. How well you gather intelligence can determine whether a mission is a failure or success. There'll be times you have to risk your life to get it. Of course, you must always consider the source of your information. Intelligence gathered from the enemy is not necessarily accurate. Always bear this in mind: disinformation can be worse than no information at all. It can lead to the death of comrades, or the loss of a village. That's why I put you in the position where you had to gather accurate intelligence; cheat in order to survive. And that's why those who weren't good enough at it were weeded out, leaving the rest of you."

"Okay. But I'm still not getting what the tenth question thing was all about."

"You're not? The tenth question was the main point of the whole exam. Surely you see that."

"Sure, but explain it anyway."

Kimi mentally groaned. _I just want to go home…_

"As I said before, the goal was not only to test you as an individual, but as a squad. The final question gave you two options, both difficult. You could choose to play it safe and skip the tenth question, although it meant that both you and your teammates failed. Or you could try to answer it, knowing if you got it wrong you would lose any chance at becoming a Chuunin. It was a no-win situation. Just the sort Chuunin have to face almost every day. For example, let me give you a hypothetical mission: to steal a document from an enemy stronghold. You have no idea how many ninja the enemy has, or how heavily armed they are. Furthermore, you have reason to believe that the enemy expects you, and you might very well be walking blindly into a trap. Now, do you have an option taking a pass on this insane mission, or saying my comrades and I would rather live to fight another day? Do you choose to avoid danger?

"No. There will be many missions that will seem almost suicidal if you think about it, but you do not think about it. You think only of the goal, and achieving it through courage and discipline. These are the qualities required of a Chuunin squad leader. Those who choose the safer of the two paths, those whose determination falters in the face of adversity, those who would put their comrades live in jeopardy by worrying about their own, those who would save their own necks at the price of sacred honor, those people will never become Chuunin, at least as long as I am here.

"As for the rest of you, you have successfully answered the ten questions I have put to you. You have earned the right to continue on to the next step. You have passed through the first gate. I hereby declare this part of the Chuunin Selection Exam, completed. There's nothing left but to wish you all good luck."

"All right! We did it! That's one down." Naruto shouted, waking Shikamaru up with a jerk. Kimi giggled at him for a moment before her attention was caught by a huge black ball bursting through the window. The glass shattered all over the classroom as four kunai few, pinning up a banner. Kimi read it, thinking that this proctor was already giving her a headache.

Here comes the second exam proctor: Mirarashi Anko.

"Heads up, boys and girls. This is no time to be celebrating. I'll be your next proctor: Mirarashi Anko. Ready for the next part of the test? Good! Let's go, follow me!"

Everyone left in the room stared at her blankly.

Ibiki stepped forward in annoyance. "You're early. Again."

As Anko sweat dropped, Kimi watched her make a scan. "How many are there? Ibiki, you let all these guys pass? You test was too easy. You must be getting soft."

"Or it could just be a stronger crop of candidates this year."

"Hm. They sure don't look it." _Gee, thanks._ "Trust me, before I'm done with them, more than half will be eliminated. This is gonna be fun. Alright, you maggots have had it easy so far, but that's gonna be different first thing in the morning. I'll let your squad leaders know where you're to meet me. Dismissed."

Kimi stared at her in amazement, wondering if she could be the worst part of the exam. However, she was brought out of her reverie by Neji.

"C'mon, Kimi. I'm taking you home. Lee is going to meet up with Gai-sensei and get the information for tomorrow, and then the three of us are going to rendezvous at our normal spot. But I want to get home soon, so let's go."

"Boyfriend, Kimi?" Shikamaru questioned from next to her, making her look at him in disgust.

"As if. This is Neji-niisan, remember?" She smiled when she stood up, walking around the desk and taking Neji's hand anyway. "See you tomorrow, Shikamaru." Kimi called as they walked out.

Later that night, when sleep seemed to be evading her, Kimi jumped out the window of her room after pulling on a pair of shorts under the t-shirt she was wearing. She walked over to the academy and sat down on the swing, pushing herself a little as she contemplated Shikamaru_. I would say I had a crush on him before I'd met him, but that still didn't mean I could really like him yet… Could it?_

"What's on your mind?" Kimi heard a voice call, and she froze for a moment.

"Naruto, what're you doing out here?"

He shrugged as he sat down next to me, in his sweatpants from earlier and a black t-shirt, his headband still on. "Couldn't sleep. Wanted ramen."

She giggled slightly, before looking down at her feet.

"You never answered me."

"Boy drama." She said simply, not wanting to go any further than that. He nodded, accepting the answer, so the pair sat there in silence. Kimi acknowledged that he was studying her, so she turned my attention to him.

"Are you really blind?" He questioned, sounding like a little kid.

She smiled before getting up, walking over and untying his headband. After Kimi had gently pressed a kiss to his forehead, she handed it back. "Good luck in the exam, Naruto."

Kimi was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow at home, and- thankfully- slept until her alarm the next morning.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! I wanted to take the chance to say thank you all for reading my story and the reviews you've been posting. It's great to be able to hear back from you all. I did want to say that I'm starting college next week, so I'm not sure how regular the updates are going to be for a while. I hope you all will stick around and keep reading, though. Thanks so much! 3 -Situation**

Kimi sat up the next morning, covering her mouth in a yawn. Her alarm clock went off moments later, so she reached over and slapped it off, grumbling lightly. When she stood up, the hardwood floor chilled her feet, so she jumped to the bathroom. After doing my morning routine, Kimi walked back into her bedroom to grab her clothes. She slid her door open as she bit off the end of the bandages and headed toward the kitchen. Humming some nonsense tune, she quickly mixed the batter for cranberry orange muffins before heading back to her room for her other necessities. Her headband was secured around her leg, while the other one was bandaged for underneath her holster. Kimi fixed her other holster on her waistband before going to get the muffins out of the oven. After she had boxed them up for travel, she scribbled a note to her parents, grabbed her shoes, and headed out to Kohana Stadium. It was just about in the center of all of their teams' residences- the compounds Neji and Kimi lived in and the apartment Lee had. The boys were already there when she approached.

"Food?" Lee asked, his eyes lighting up when he saw the box Kimi was holding. She laughed and opened it, allowing the boys to dig in. Neji took a bite and closed his eyes in ecstasy as Kimi giggled at him.

After taking one for herself, Kimi threw the now empty box in a nearby trashcan. "So, Lee, where are we supposed to meet for the second exam?"

"Gai-sensei said the Forty-Forth Battle Training Zone is the location."

Her eyebrows shot up. "The Forest of Death?"

"What?" Lee and Neji both questioned, looking at their female teammate in shock. Kimi started heading toward the forest, shaking her head slightly.

Neji took her hand as she spoke. "The Forty-Forth Battle Training Zone is also called the Forest of Death, supposedly because of the monstrous creatures contained within. It's an area designed to test shinobi in high risk survival situations."

"Kimi, where the hell did you learn that?"

"It was in a book." She murmured, directing her face downward so they wouldn't see my pink cheeks. Neji sighed next to her, slinging his arm around her to pull her closer.

Kimi jokingly brushed his arm off. "I'm no distressed damsel, y'know. I'm a kunoichi." She teased with a grin as they walked through the village gates. She waved to the guys sitting there. They had both watched the competitors yesterday, and the one she had caught eyes with grinned widely.

"Heads up, Kimi. We'll be out there as soon as all the contestants are out."

Kimi pouted a bit. "It's not fair. I don't know your name, but you know mine."

"Kotetsu." He grinned. "And this is Izumo. Besides, who doesn't know the name of the blind Genin who is supposedly more powerful in Genjutsu than Kurenai and Ninjutsu than Kakashi?"

As she quirked my eyebrow, Neji gently put his hand on Kimi's lower back, making Kotetsu smirk. "And of course, Hyuuga Neji, the number one rookie of his year, and Rock Lee, the ninja with only Taijutsu. Powerful team."

"Better not forget that." Neji said as he led the other two through the gates.

Their team walked in silence from that point on, Neji holding on to the kunoichi's hand while Lee looked like he was on a pogo stick. Kimi sighed when she saw the other teams, making a mental note not to give Lee any more sugar for breakfast. Neji stopped them near the middle, seeing as they were one of the earlier teams there. Kimi heard a yawn from behind her and acknowledged that Shikamaru's team was coming with a small giggle.

"You should stop flirting with that rookie and get your head where it belongs, Kimi." Neji snapped, making her eyes widen.

As Kimi channeled her chakra so she could actually see Neji, she was shocked by the hateful look on his face. "Neji…"

"Hanging around children like him will only make you lose your edge."

She looked down toward the ground then, knowing that Neji was only looking out for her wellbeing. _But does he have to be so cruel?_

"Hey, man, lighten up. Rookie doesn't mean anything." A voice drawled, making Kimi look up. Shikamaru was standing there, smiling slightly at her. "I mean, you were the number one rookie from your year, right? Who's to say you're any less likely to get your ass kicked by someone stronger than you now than you were before?'

The kunoichi grinned at him, thankful for him defending himself. She knew she should've, but it's Neji... "And Kimi, if you ever feel like you need some new people to hang around, my team will always welcome you." He smirked before walking away, leaving Kimi there with a fuming Neji and a confused Lee.

"What just happened?" Lee asked, looking between Shikamaru and Neji.

Kimi smiled, reaching over to take Lee's hand. "Neji was just proven wrong by a slacker rookie." _And I hope I will be, too._

"It should." Their proctor, Anko, spoke, drawing everyone's attention to whatever had been happening before. "They call it the Forest of Death. And soon enough, you're gonna find out why."

As Lee pulled Kimi a little closer, Naruto decided to be an idiot and mock her. She groaned internally, wondering why he couldn't be more like he was the night before. However, a kunai chucked at him pulled Kimi out of her thoughts. Anko appeared behind Naruto.

"Tough enough to handle this? You're not afraid, are you? Tough guys like you usually leave their blood all over this forest."

A ninja from behind Team Guy rapidly approached Anko, and she sensed it as well. Whipping out a kunai, she turned around, but paused.

"I was just returning your knife." The kunoichi spoke, using her tongue to hold out Anko's kunai.

She simply smiled. "I see. Thank you, Grass Ninja. You know, I really only recommend you stand this close behind me if you wish to reach a premature end."

"My apologies. With the sight of blood and your blade slicing through my hair, I'm afraid I just became a little excited. I meant you no harm." The Grass Nin turned and walked away, but not before giving everyone a stare that made them shiver.

"Seems like everyone here today is quite tempered. Must be something in the air." Anko smirked. Kimi found that she had drifted her attention to Shikamaru, thinking of Neji earlier, only to notice he was peering in her direction through his peripheral vision. "This is gonna be fun.

"Now, before we begin this test, I have something to hand out to you all. It's just a standard consent form. Before the test, all of you are going to have to read over this form, and then sign it."

"What for?" Naruto complained.

"Some of you may not come back from this test, and I have to get your consent to that risk. Otherwise, it'd be my responsibility." Most of the crowd sweat dropped as she laughed.

"Now, I'll explain what you'll be doing on this test. Here, pass these out." She held the papers out to Naruto, who began to pass them around. "The first thing you need to know is that this test will tax every one of your survival skills. First, I'll give you all a description of the terrain on the practice field. The Forty-Forth Battle Training Zone has forty-four locked entrance gates. There are rivers and a forest inside. In the center is a locked tower, located ten kilometers from each gate. It's in this confined area that you'll undergo the survival test. The test consists of anything goes battle to get your hands on these scrolls.

"Both of them?" Someone asked.

"Yes. You'll be fighting to get your hands on both a Heaven and an Earth scroll."

Neji and Kimi locked eyes, both forgetting about earlier as they instantly began strategizing.

"All together, twenty-six teams will be taking part in this test. That means thirteen of them will be trying to get a Heaven scroll, while the other half will be fighting to get their hands on an Earth Scroll. I'll hand over one scroll to each team, and that's what you'll be fighting for."

"Okay." Sasuke spoke up. "So how do we pass the test?"

"Your entire team must bring both a Heaven and an Earth scroll to the tower."

"That means, at the very best, half the teams will fail. More if some don't manage to get their hands on both the scrolls."

"Genius." Kimi murmured, giving Sakura an eye roll.

Anko nodded. "No one ever said it would be easy. Oh, and one more thing. The test has a time limit. You must finish it within five days."

"Five days out there?" Shikamaru's teammate- Ino- cried out.

Chouji did as well. "What are we supposed to do for food?"

Kimi giggled when Shikamaru took a small step away from the other two.

"Just look around. The forest is full of things to eat! There's more than enough to feed all of you."

"Yeah, but that's not all the forest has plenty of." Kabuto commented. "There are also man-eating beasts and poisonous plants in there."

As Shikamaru's team started up again, Neji and Kimi shared the same thought.

"In those conditions, no way half will pass." She murmured, untangling her hand from Lee.

"And with the days getting longer and nights getting shorter, we will have less time to rest, and less time to recover. It is a challenge indeed!" Lee grinned, and Kimi pinched the bridge of her nose.

Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. "We'll be surrounded by enemies. We'll have to keep a constant watch."

"Right. This test was also designed to test endurance behind enemy lines. This is designed to be a grueling test. Some of you won't be up to the challenge."

Shikamaru raised his hand, drawing Kimi's attention instantly. "So, uhm, let's say we're mid-exam. Can we quit?"

She sweat dropped, feeling Neji's glare on the back of my neck.

"Of course not! In the middle of a battle you can't just say 'Sorry, I quit'. Well, you could, but it'd probably get you killed."

"Well that's just great." He complained. "This is gonna be a drag."

_I don't think I can ever look Neji in the eye again…_


End file.
